


At the End of the Day

by IsoldeArcher



Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Aftercare, Bath, Established Relationship, F/M, Massage, Modern AU, Paz's magic hands, Praise Kink, Pre-Negotiated BDSM, Service Top, Soft!Dom, THOSE BUNS, Vaginal Fingering, he likes it when she calls him sir, paz is a softie, this is entirely self-indulgent and IDGAF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-23
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:15:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26613562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IsoldeArcher/pseuds/IsoldeArcher
Summary: After a difficult day at work, Paz tends to his significant other's needs.
Relationships: Paz Vizsla/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 24





	At the End of the Day

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [a dozen iced sinnamon buns](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25455376) by [Foxen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Foxen/pseuds/Foxen). 



> Heyo! I'm still here, just wanted to drop off a bit of something while I'm rewriting the next chapter of Qui Vivre Verra; it's fighting me tooth and nail and there's been a lot going on in my personal life, which hasn't left as much time for writing as I would like. I saw QVV heading in one direction and - while the general idea is still the same - it's required some shuffling of the cards. So it's not abandoned, just on temporary hold while I work through what I need to.
> 
> This fic is an entirely self-indulgent piece of soft!smut that I wrote after a particularly bad day at work. I work in a social service sector and some of the stuff I see...it's unpleasant. So if I could have Paz help me unwind and forget about it for an evening? Yes, please. He and Niobe will eventually feature in a companion fic to QVV with much different backstories, but...it worked for what I needed at the time.
> 
> So please enjoy and drop your thoughts in the comments!

The bell on the door let out a warning chime as it was roughly thrust open and slammed shut. Paz felt the corners of his mouth twitch upwards in a smile; the last customer had left over an hour ago and only one other person had the keys to the bakery. He closed the laptop and glanced at the clock, then frowned. It was much later than she normally got home. He slid the desk drawer open silently and reached for his gun. “ _Cyar’ika_?” he called hesitantly, his voice gruff.

Her footsteps echoed in the empty shop, drawing towards the office. “It’s me,” Niobe said, rounding the corner. “Sorry, I should have texted. Work kept me late.”

Paz shut the drawer and stood up from his chair, stretching his arms overhead as Niobe appeared in the doorway. He let his arms drop and felt the air rush out of his lungs as he saw her. Strands of hair had escaped her carefully plaited braid and now framed her face in a frizzy halo. Her makeup was smudged like…”Niobe, _cyare_ , what happened?” he asked, reaching out to grasp her wrist and pull her towards him. “I thought you were _done_ with that case.”

Niobe sighed and relaxed in his grip, snaking her arms around his waist and laying her head on his chest with her ear against his heart. She took a moment to let the slow, steady beat fill her senses and ground her to the here and now. “We were,” she whispered at length, her voice small and tremulous. “It just wasn’t done with us.” She heard his indrawn breath and gripped him tighter. “I don’t want to talk about it. I-I...I just...I can’t. Please,” she cut him off.

One of his hands drifted down to rest on her lower back and the other rose to cup the back of her neck. He dipped his head and gently pressed his lips to her forehead. “Of course. Whatever you need, _cyar’ika_ ,” he breathed. He began to rub soft circles at the bottom of her skull as she pressed her nose into the hollow where his neck met his shoulder.

Niobe inhaled deeply, wanting to drown herself in Paz’s scent - a yeasty warmth with an undercurrent of spice. “I hate this,” she choked, feeling the tears start up again and spill down her cheeks. “It feels like...like I’m trying to e-empty the ocean with a-with a t-teaspoon. It’s not...it’s not worth it.”

Paz’s other hand moved to stroke firm, reassuring strokes up and down her back, his fingers pressing into her flesh with just the right amount of pressure to loosen the tense muscles. He waited for her to continue.

“Sure, we-we might close _one_ case b-but there’s-there’s always three more that...that pop up,” she sobbed. “And each one, each one’s worse than the last, I-I swear. I just...I feel like I’m not making a damn bit of difference.”

His hands stilled and he just held her flush against him for a moment, her head tucked under his chin. When she didn’t say anything else, he spoke up. “Niobe Marh, you make a _world_ of difference on every case you work,” he said quietly, his deep voice reverberating in his chest and rumbling through her. “You are the strongest person I know for going out and facing what you face every day; I wouldn’t be able to see the things you see without losing it. I don’t...I don’t say this nearly enough, but I am _so_ _proud_ of you, _mesh’la_. You’re amazing.”

She held him tighter. “Thank you,” she whispered. “I...thank you. You always know just what to say.”

Paz pulled back just enough to kiss her forehead again. “Of course, _cyare_ ,” he murmured, stubble tickling her skin. He hesitated for a moment, swallowing. He had an idea; it was far-fetched, but after the day she’d had, it was what Niobe deserved. When he spoke again, his voice had dropped even lower. “I also... _know just what you want_.”

Niobe tensed in his hold. Typically when Paz used that phrase, he wanted to _play_ \- but she wasn’t sure she could manage that right now for as wound as she was. She felt her face grow hot with anger; of all the times for him to be so insensitive -

Paz stepped back and tipped her chin up so that she was looking him square in the eyes. “I know...how that sounds,” he began. “Just...trust me. I just want to make you feel better. Please.”

Niobe studied his face for a moment, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. Finally, the desire to just surrender control, to forget about what had happened, won out and she nodded before remembering the rules. “Okay. Yes,” she agreed.

As soon as the words were out of Niobe’s mouth, Paz gripped her waist and lifted her so that they were of a height. Niobe wrapped her legs around Paz’s hips; her arms twined around his neck and her forehead came to rest against his. “Let me take care of you, _cyar’ika_ ,” he said, closing his eyes and leaning into the _kov’nyn_. “You deserve it.” Satisfied that she had a good grip on him, he broke away from the Keldabe kiss and used one hand to flick off the lights. Niobe laid her head on his shoulder, eyes fluttering closed, and Paz headed for the staircase in the back that led up to their shared apartment. As he climbed, pieces began to fall into place.

He closed the door softly behind them, locking the deadbolt, and moved towards the bathroom. It was one of the first things Niobe had wanted to renovate when they had purchased the building. Paz had put it off as long as he could, until one day she had swept into the bakery, amber eyes sparkling. She grabbed him by the hand, dragged him out the door and down the block to where a contractor crew was dismantling the interior of an older home. On the curb sat a clawfoot bathtub that had clearly seen better days. With a mounting sense of dread, he turned to look at Niobe only to find her smile stretching from ear to ear and eyes alight. “Oh, no,” he had started to say, shaking his head.

“Please?” she breathed. “They don’t want anything for it and it won’t take much to restore. We just have to haul it away.” Niobe stepped closer and tugged him down to whisper in his ear. “ _And we’ll both fit in it_.”

And just like that, the bathtub had become his problem. He’d be lying if he said there weren’t moments he regretted the damn thing - specifically trying to wrestle it up the stairs and into the apartment - but it more than made up for the hassle.

Paz set Niobe down and cupped her cheek with one hand. “I want you to take your makeup off, undo your hair, and get undressed by the time I get back,” he said quietly but firmly.

“Yes, sir,” she murmured, turning to place a kiss on his palm before he pulled it away.

He couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face. “That’s my girl,” he said, a hint of pride sneaking into his voice. He moved to the tub and turned the tap on, fiddling with the knobs as he adjusted the temperature. Satisfied, he headed for the door and paused in the doorframe. “On second thought, leave your hair; I’ll do it myself.”

Niobe felt a shiver run down her spine at the thought of Paz unraveling the braid and massaging along her scalp. Paz eyed her expectantly. “Yes, sir,” she acknowledged.

“Good girl,” he replied, then closed the door behind him.

Niobe took a moment to close her eyes and breathe deeply. She focused on the sound of the running water, pulling the air into her lungs and then letting it out with a sigh. When the pounding of her heart had slowed, she opened her eyes again and moved to follow Paz’s orders. She took her time undressing; with each article of clothing that she removed, she felt more and more free from the weight of the day. Everything went into the hamper and she washed her face before shutting off the tap and taking a seat on the edge of the tub, trailing her fingers in the water.

Paz returned a few moments later, a plate in one hand and a glass in the other. “Get in,” he said, nodding towards the tub.

Niobe hastened to comply, hesitating only a moment to test the water with her foot before sinking into its warmth. A happy sigh escaped her lips as the tension in her lower back eased. “Feel good, _mesh’la_?” she heard Paz ask.

“Yes,” she breathed. Niobe folded her arms on the rim of the tub and rested her chin on her arms. She waited for Paz to tell her what was next.

She didn’t have to wait long. He held up the glass, pressing the straw to her lips. “Drink,” he told her. Niobe sipped the water obediently and found that she was thirstier than she thought as soon as the cool liquid hit her throat. She downed half the glass before coming up for air. A vague aftertaste told her that he’d mixed in some kind of electrolyte powder and she smiled at Paz’s thoughtfulness before finishing the drink. “Better?” he asked.

“‘ _Lek. Vor entye, al’verde_ ,” Niobe replied. 

“Good.” Paz pressed his lips to her forehead. “Brought you something to eat, too. Because, if I know you, you haven’t stopped since you left the house this morning. Right?”

Niobe sighed. “Right,” she admitted reluctantly.

Paz echoed her sigh and gently rested his fingertips on her cheek. “ _Cyar’ika_ ,” he admonished. “You’ve got to take care of yourself. Promise me you’ll try to do better?”

She leaned into his touch. “I promise.”

Paz hummed his approval and held a piece of bread to her lips. “Eat,” he said. He felt a slight thrill when Niobe’s tongue flicked out and brushed the pads of his fingers, pulling the morsel into her mouth.

Niobe’s eyes lit up as the flavors exploded on her tongue - a bright citrus (orange) followed by an earthiness (cardamom) blended into a smooth creaminess (vanilla). “Oh,” she breathed. Paz had a gift for mixing ingredients and making them _sing_.

His rough chuckle cut through her thoughts. “You like it?” he asked.

“ _Yes_ ,” she replied emphatically, straining to hold herself still when all she wanted to do was crane her neck and see if there was _more_.

Her compliance was rewarded with another bite of the roll. She chewed slowly, relishing in the flavor profile, and waited for the next. Little by little, the snack disappeared; Niobe felt a stab of disappointment when it was gone but the hollow achiness in her gut had abated without her feeling too full. A content sigh escaped her lips and Paz smiled, leaning in for another _kov’nyn_. “Feeling better, sweet girl?”

It was surprising to her how much her mood had improved after just a few simple things. “Yes, much better,” she said. 

Paz pressed a kiss to her lips. “Good,” he all but growled. “I don’t like seeing you upset.” He stood and shucked his shirt and pants, kicking everything to the side and climbing into the tub behind Niobe. The water rose midway up her breasts, enveloping her in a comforting embrace.

She allowed herself to go limp and pliant as his hands gripped her and he maneuvered her where he wanted. She found herself between his legs, leaning slightly forward with her hands on his knees. Niobe heard Paz open a bottle and the warm, woody scent of her skin oil filled the air. Sure enough, he began to work the oil into her back, shoulders, and neck with broad, firm strokes at first, pausing to pay special attention wherever he found tension (which, he noted with a grimace, was a lot of places). She sighed with relief as the knots loosened, unable to suppress a groan when his fingers found a particularly tight spot in her right shoulder. Paz paused in his ministrations and Niobe froze, afraid that she had broken an unspoken rule. Instead, he asked, “Are you all right?”

“Yes,” Niobe breathed. “Just _sore_. _Vorpan._ ”

Paz grunted in acknowledgment and continued to knead along the ridge of her shoulder until Niobe gasped with relief. He smoothed his hands up and down her back one last time then reached for the tie that bound her braid, tugging it loose and tossing it over the side of the tub. Slowly, tantalizingly, he unwound the dark strands criss-crossed over, around, and under one another until her hair hung loose. Then, just as she had imagined, Paz slid his fingers in and rubbed gentle circles on her scalp. Niobe hummed in pleasure, leaning up into his touch like a loth-cat. “Sweet girl,” Paz growled, burying his nose in her hair and inhaling. “Do you want me to make you feel _good_?”

Honestly, Niobe would have let him do anything at that point but the fact that he had _asked_ sent a line of heat straight to her core. She shifted slightly in his lap, feeling a sudden need for friction. “I need a yes or a no,” Paz prompted, holding himself still with monumental effort.

Niobe took a deep, shuddering breath. “ _Elek, al’verde. Gedet’ye_.”

She felt Paz pull back just enough to push her hair aside and then his lips tenderly met her neck. “Of course, little one; anything you want. Especially since you asked _so nicely_.” 

As the breath from his words ghosted over her skin, goosebumps sprang up in their wake. Paz gently nipped the spot where her neck and shoulder met, not hard enough to break skin but hard enough that Niobe squirmed; he immediately soothed it with his tongue. His next kiss landed higher, halfway up her neck - the next higher still, at her hairline. Then his teeth closed on the outer edge of her ear and it was all Niobe could do not to squirm as Paz _sucked_. A small whimper escaped her and Paz pulled back, dragging her skin between his teeth. “Wanna hear you, _cyare_. Tell me how good I make you feel,” he commanded.

“So good,” Niobe said breathlessly. Maker, she could barely string a coherent thought together already. “Make me feel like I can _fly_ , _al’verde_.”

Paz’s teeth closed on the shell of her other ear with a growl and he repeated the treatment on the other side, kissing down her neck and biting her shoulder hard enough to bruise this time. Niobe cried out as the pain mingled with pleasure, struggling to keep her hands where Paz had placed them when all she wanted to do was sink her fingers into her core to alleviate the throbbing sensation coiling in her lower abdomen. “Gonna make you _cum_ ,” he promised, his fingers circling her forearm so he could bring it up to his mouth to press a kiss to her wrist. “Gonna make you _soar_ just like you want.” He kissed her palm next, then took her index and middle finger in his mouth.

Niobe let out a delicious moan as he wrapped his tongue around her digits and dragged them out slowly, scraping his teeth along the skin until they popped free of his lips. “Yes, please,” she gasped.

“Please _what_?” Paz prompted, pausing in his ministrations.

“Please, _sir_ ,” she replied, her voice rising to a whine. “ _Gedet’ye_ , _al’verde_.”

“That’s better,” Paz praised. He trailed his fingers up her arms and smoothed his hands down her chest and torso, pinning her against him. One hand splayed across her abdomen to hold her in place and the other drifted over her breast. He cupped the flesh in his palm, pinching her nipple between thumb and forefinger. His skin glided over hers as he tried to roll her nipple between his fingers, the residual oil lessening the friction Niobe craved. Paz adjusted his grip so that he could draw her breast out.

The hand on her abdomen moved up to lavish attention on her other breast. Paz circled it with a light touch. Niobe arched her back, trying to thrust her breasts deeper into his hold. Her breathing had quickened and she groaned in frustration as Paz pulled his hands away. “Impatient, aren’t we?” he asked. He gripped her sides and adjusted her so that she was flush against him, giving her an extra squeeze just where he knew she was ticklish.

Niobe squeaked indignantly but Paz held her pinned just where he wanted her. “Good girls wait for what’s been promised them,” he admonished, nipping the top of her ear. His hands roamed lower and he gripped her ass briefly before sliding his hands under her thighs. “Open for me, _cyar’ika_.”

Doing as she was told, Niobe planted her feet on the outside of Paz’s legs and let hers fall open. Her knees rested on the sides of the tub. Paz skimmed his hands up to her knees then trailed his fingers back down nearly to where Niobe wanted them; he repeated the motion several times, peppering her neck and shoulders with gentle nips and nibbles. Niobe’s breath shuddered through her body but _she didn’t move_. Paz hadn’t told her to. “ _Jate_ ,” he rumbled as if reading her mind. “That’s better.” One finger dragged slowly through her crease and circled her clit, but not with enough pressure to ease the ache in her core.

“Please,” she whispered. “ _Gedet’ye_ , _al’verde_. Touch me.”

Another slow circle around her clit. “I am,” Paz said, a smile in his voice.

Niobe sighed in frustration, wanting desperately to grind her hips up into his touch. “You know what I mean,” she told him, an edge of annoyance creeping into her words.

“Then say it.”

“Need your fingers inside me, please,” Niobe begged. “Please, sir.”

There was a surprisingly gentle kiss to the top of her head. “There you go; all you had to do was ask, sweet girl.”

It was all the warning she had before Paz sank two of his fingers into her heat. “ _Osik_ ,” he swore. “So wet for me, _mesh’la_. So wet and so warm. And so... _good_. _Such a good girl_ for me.”

Part of Paz wanted to draw it out longer, string Niobe along until she was a trembling, pleading mess. But she had already been through enough today and he wanted to make her forget. Instead, he began to pump his fingers in and out of her center, cupping the heel of his palm over her clit and grinding down on it just the way she liked.

Niobe must have been expecting him to tease her a little longer as well. She cried out in surprise as her release began to coil in her lower belly.

“Beautiful girl,” Paz growled, gripping one of Niobe’s breasts with his free hand. He kept pace as his other hand drifted up and curled around her throat with a gentle squeeze. “Gonna give you what you want, gonna give you what you _need_ , _gonna give you what you deserve_.”

“Just like that,” Niobe panted. “ _Elek, al’verde, gedet’ye_. Don’t stop. So close.”

The coil drew tighter and tighter. Niobe’s legs trembled with the effort of holding as still as possible; she was close to abandoning that pretense and arching into Paz’s touch. Then, suddenly, the tips of his fingers brushed just the _right_ spot and she felt herself dancing on the edge. Another few strokes and Paz sank his teeth into her shoulder which was all it took for Niobe to go tumbling over. She curled in on herself, trapping Paz’s hand between her thighs. He held her tight as pleasure washed over her in waves, murmuring soft encouragement in mando’a.

Slowly, she relaxed into him and he slid his hand free. Niobe whined a little at the loss, tucking the crown of her head under his chin. “Feel better, _cyar’ika_?” Paz asked.

He felt Niobe nod against his chest, not quite able to find her tongue yet. He chuckled softly, pleased with himself, and kissed the top of her head again. “Good.”

They sat in the water in silence, simply enjoying each other's presence, until it started to cool around them. Paz moved first, pushing the stopper aside with his foot. He felt Niobe sigh in his arms. "I know, _cyar'ika_ ," he murmured. "Let's get you cleaned up, then we can go to bed."

"Already got a _bath_ ," she grumbled, still boneless with pleasure and loath to move even as the water circled down the drain. “And it’s _late_.”

Paz chuckled. " _Nayc_ , little one, you don't get off that easy.”

With a sigh, Niobe shifted enough so Paz could get out of the tub. As she moved to follow him, she heard him turn the shower on and put two towels in the warmer. A smile spread across her features and she wondered what she had done to deserve someone like her _al’verde_. She carefully made her way over to him and slid her arms around his torso from behind, laying her cheek against his back. “Thank you,” she said quietly. “Are you sure you don’t want _me_ to take care of _you_ now?”

“No.” Paz turned in her grip so that he was facing her. He tipped her head back with one finger. “You don’t need to return the favor tonight, _mesh’la_. I just wanted you to feel…” He hesitated, unsure of how to finish his statement. Good? Loved? Special?

For once, his silence spoke for him and Niobe beamed. “I did. I do,” she assured him.

Paz let his eyes drift closed as he leaned down to press their foreheads together. When he straightened, he ushered Niobe into the waiting shower. “Come on, before the water gets cold.”

They stood under the spray for a moment, Niobe’s fingers idly tracing the tattoos that banded Paz’s arm. He reached for her shampoo and worked it into a lather on her head, repeating his massage from earlier. Niobe hummed contentedly; she loved when Paz played with her hair. He helped her rinse it clean, fingernails gently scratching her scalp, before grabbing her soap and a washcloth. Paz cleaned away the residual oil, being especially gentle around her still-sensitive breasts and core.

“Gonna have to wear your hair down for a couple of days,” he said as he pushed it to the side to reveal a rapidly-darkening bruise at the join of neck and shoulder.

“Hmm, worth it,” Niobe replied, turning slowly to rinse away the suds.

Paz gave himself a cursory scrub and shut the water off. He retrieved the towels and methodically dried her off before bundling her in its warmth. “Go in and get dressed; I’ll join you in a minute.”

Niobe was just turning down the covers when he wandered into the bedroom. She had braided her hair and donned a pair of floral pajama pants and a tank top. Paz watched as she slid in between the sheets while he shimmied on a pair of sweatpants himself. He crossed the room to turn off the lights before joining her, pulling the blanket over them as Niobe slotted into place against him with her back against his chest and her head tucked under his chin. Paz’s arm snaked around Niobe’s waist, holding her firmly, reassuringly.

While part of him was proud - _so proud_ \- of Niobe’s strength and courage in the face of the work she did, another part (illogically) longed to keep her safe. As though sensing his thoughts, Niobe intertwined her fingers with his and gave his hand a squeeze. “You’re thinking too loudly,” she murmured, voice thick with sleep.

“Sorry,” he apologized, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head. “ _Nuhoy, cyare. Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum._ ” 

**Author's Note:**

> Full disclosure: after I wrote about Paz feeding Niobe, I hade to make the buns for myself.
> 
> I, too, would fuck that man for those buns.
> 
> Recipe [here](http://yestoyolks.com/2020/03/04/vanilla-bean-orange-cardamom-rolls/). 
> 
> Mando'a translations:  
> cyar'ika = darling, sweetheart  
> cyare = beloved  
> mesh'la = beautiful  
> kov'nyn = headbutt; here, a sign of affection  
> lek = yeah  
> vor entye = thank you  
> al'verde = commander  
> vorpan = green  
> elek = yes  
> gedet'ye = please  
> jate = good  
> osik = shit  
> nayc = no  
> nuhoy = sleep  
> Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum = I love you
> 
> ...I may or may not have already outlined parts two and three...TBD.


End file.
